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YouTubeI am posting this on CU because I know there are many people who love to cook on this site and I trust your advice.
I'm looking for advice on an 8 inch chef's knife. I've heard good things about Shun and I think the Henckels that I have currently is OK, but wanted to see what the cooks of CU owned and loved.
Columbus Underground Messageboard » General Columbus Discussion » Q&A
Best chef's knife?
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KSquared
Literally Hell
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Posted 2 years ago # -
michaelcoyote
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I use a couple of Dexter-Russel knives, one is an 8" Chefs and the other is a 7" Santoku. I doubt I spent more than $35 for either of them.. They're not as nice as a Shun or even a Henckels, but they get the job done just fine, and I use them both a lot.
One thing I will say is whatever knife you do use, make sure it's sharp. Spend some money on a stone and lean how to use it, or just take them to be sharpened. If you take good care of a knife, a blade should last a good long time.
To protect my knives, I purchased plastic blade guards for mine, and I put them on the knives when I store them. I also try to hand wash and dry the knives and put them away quickly so they done get knocked in the dish drainer.
Posted 2 years ago # -
michaelcoyote
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Charlie wrote >>
After reading "Kitchen Confidential" by Anthony Bourdain, I went out and bought a Global Chef Knife. It is the only thing I chop with anymore. Although I need to get it sharpened, not sure where to go for that.The Global knives are nice, but if you got one of the ceramic ones, you'll want to send it back to the factory. If it's steel you can sharpen it yourself or take it someplace that sharpens knives.
Posted 2 years ago # -
rus
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Charlie wrote >>
After reading "Kitchen Confidential" by Anthony Bourdain, I went out and bought a Global Chef Knife. It is the only thing I chop with anymore. Although I need to get it sharpened, not sure where to go for that.I do my own sharpening, but seem to recall a knife shop in Hilliard which would sharpen knives. I'm sure there's others.
If you'd ever like to try sharpening your own, check out lansky crock sticks. Very easy to use ( compared to honing stones ) although one doesn't get the range of angles in other systems.
I've a Henckles set ( 2, really... keep getting them as gifts ) as well as a few knives I picked up at various art festivals.
Posted 2 years ago # -
Mercurius
First Avenue
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I would certainly go with a Japanese forged blade especially seeing that you already have a German Henkel. I mostly use a Shun Elite 6" Chefs Knife. (I have a Henkel 8" Chefs knife that rarely leaves the block.) I really like how much more maneuverable a smaller chef's knife is. Shun elites have a Rockwell rating of 66 and a ergonomic handle. Cooks Illustrated recently profiled some "hybrid" Japanese chefs knives and while my Shun Elite wasn't tested, they rated Masamoto VG-10 Gyutou and Misono UX-10 Chef's Kife as the most highly recommended. Hope that helps?
Posted 2 years ago # -
michaelcoyote
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Patch wrote >>
From Anthony Bourdian's book, since his name has been popping up recently:
"Global makes a lot of knives in different sizes, so what do you need? One chef's knife."He also mentions getting a serrated sandwich knife and a peeling knife IIRC. That's about what I have
I've since added the santoku. This is a chefs knife with a funny snub nosed shape and scallops cut into it to keep food from sticking to the blade as I'm slicing. Any more I use it for about 80% of my kitchen work.
The standard chefs knife gets used a lot if I'm slicing meats or larger fruits and veggies.
Posted 2 years ago # -
Tenzo
Chicago Lakeshore
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Just saying "buy a Henckel" would be as wrong as saying "buy a car" for transportation. Henckels range from about $20 to $400.
To me, this is something you don't want to skimp on. The knife you buy you will have the rest of your life. Sometimes longer. I inherited two Henkels from my Grandmother. Plus, you don't need a whole set. I do 80% of my work with a chef's knife. 15% with a pairing knife and about 4% with a filleting knife.
First. Find one that fits your hand.
Second. Find one which balances well in your hand.
Third. Find one that works well with the way you cut. I like the curve of the chef's knife. Having used one for up to 17 hours a day, I really would not want one of the flat bladed Japanese knives.
Fourth. Get the kind of composite for the kind of work you do. Knives that hold an incredibly sharp edge are brittle and require a lot of upkeep. My Grandmother's knives are sharper than any consumer knives. But I have to work them with a wet stone about 4 times a year.
Also, knives with serrated blades (Ginzu or whatever) I consider saws, not knives. They rip what you are cutting. So if you want to do nails, then shoe leather than a tomato, go for the serrated. You want to cut, you want a straight blade.
Also, just important as picking the knife is learning how to take care of it. I almost had a fit when I walked in on my wife cutting a lemon on the granite counter.
Posted 2 years ago # -
roy
Downtown
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We have Global and Lamson. Lamsonsharp is a fantastic American company, the North Market cookware store and Cookware Sorcerer carry the brand. http://www.lamsonsharp.com/
Posted 2 years ago # -
Tenzo
Chicago Lakeshore
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Most of the people at cooking schools start off with an 's' series Henkel. I suggest you start from there and go up or down depending upon your level of expertise and snobbery.
If you want to go with a Japanese knife, I highly recomend Masamoto.
I was given one as a gift when I lived in Japan.Misono is another good brand that you can get an incredably sharp edge on. But I think the steel is a little brittle for non-specialized use.
Posted 2 years ago # -
michaelcoyote
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DavidF wrote >>
I thought this was a good article.
Chef's Knives RatedThat's a good breakdown of the different knives, but one problem is that often knife makers will sharpen their knives incompletely. I've been told by people at Wasserstrom and at Williams-Sonoma that what I want to do is sharpen my knives before I start using them. One guy suggested a surgical instrument sharpening place in Cleveland, but that seems like overkill to me.
Posted 2 years ago # -
ernesto
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Cookware Sorcerer in the Short North sharpens blades. Had mine done about 3 weeks ago and they did a great job. Don't remember exactly how much but it wasn't more than $5 for my 8" chef. They give it back to you the next day, so if you use it every day or nearly every day, you might want to plan it around a night you'll be eating outside the house.
Posted 2 years ago # -
Roscoe
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I like this Victornox/Forchner a lot: http://www.amazon.com/Victorinox-8-Inch-Chefs-Fibrox-Handle/dp/B000638D32/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=home-garden&qid=1258562457&sr=8-1
Don't let the price throw you, we have others that are more expensive, but reach for this one again and again. I'm actually thinking about picking up a second one.
Posted 2 years ago # -
michaelcoyote
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Mercurius wrote >>
I would certainly go with a Japanese forged blade especially seeing that you already have a German Henkel. I mostly use a Shun Elite 6" Chefs Knife. (I have a Henkel 8" Chefs knife that rarely leaves the block.) I really like how much more maneuverable a smaller chef's knife is.I found that my santoku was wonderfully maneuverable, which is why I do most of my cutting with it these days. What kind of grind is that? It looks like a chisel grind.
Posted 2 years ago # -
michaelcoyote
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Roscoe wrote >>
Don't let the price throw youI think that's pretty close to what the Dexter-Russel knives I use cost. having used mine and then more expensive knives, I tend to be pretty happy with mine. I don't think that we need to spend a lot on a blade for it to perform well.
Posted 2 years ago # -
klboylan
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I also prefer Forschner knives. Cook's Illustrated rates them as highly as Wustof (which I'm surprised hasn't been mentioned here) but they cost much less. I do think the Wustof holds a sharp blade a little longer than the Forschner, but you can buy three Forschners for the price of one Wustof.
Posted 2 years ago # -
lisathewaitress
SoHud
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always, always go with Japanese steel. Most Japanese knife manufacturers were once sword-making houses, and they have spent thousands of years perfecting the craft of blending metals to create perfectly sharp and flexible knifes. Even my cheap knives purchased at Tensuke are better than most German knives. Many Japanese knifes have an edge on only one side; if you are left-handed you might have to search a little harder.
Save up and buy one great knife. Usually 6-8" for a girl and 8-10" for a boy. not being sexist, it has to do with the size of your hand and your strength.
Cookware sorcerer has a great selection of Japanese knives and Nancy is very well-informed on the best ones.
I have enjoyed using both MAC and Global; although Shuns are probably the most beautiful.
Posted 2 years ago # -
takeasiesta
Harrison West
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Are you on a budget at all? I'm in the market for new knives too and have been eyeing Pure Komachi knives at North Market Cookware. They are high-carbon stainless steel and are around $20. They come in a bunch of different styles and colors.
Posted 2 years ago #
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